Frank Pullano

February 23, 1929 - February 12, 2016

(GENEVA) Frank Pullano, 86, of Geneva, NY passed away peacefully on Friday (February 12th) surrounded by his loving family at Rochester General Hospital. Friends are invited to his wake from 4pm to 8pm Tuesday (February 16th) at DeVaney-Bennett Funeral Home on 181 N. Main Street, Geneva, NY. Members of the Winnek Post # 396 American Legion will meet at the funeral home at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday; Members of the Hydrant Hose Co. # 1 of the Geneva Fire Department will meet at the funeral home at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Members of the Geneva Council # 272 Knights of Columbus will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Funeral Home; Members of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus will have an honor guard from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. A mass celebrating his life will be held at St. Stephen’s Church at 10am on Wednesday (February 17th). Burial will be at Glenwood Cemetery at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of Peace Parish. Frank was born in Geneva on February 23, 1929, to Rosario and Catherine Anne (Gaglianese) Pullano. He graduated from DeSales High School in 1946 and in 1951 became involved in a career in the home improvement business that lasted six decades. His military service began in 1944 when he lied about his age (15) and joined the New York State National Guard. He retired in 1980 as the Deputy Public Affairs Officer for the New York State Division of Military Affairs. His military awards included the Good Conduct Medal and the Meritorious Service Award. Frank was a tireless volunteer for the Geneva area earning the nicknames, “Mr. Geneva” and “The Unofficial Mayor of Geneva” which he cherished. Highlights of his many accomplishments included: Chairman of the Heart Fund Drive, The March of Dimes and The Cancer Fund. He was one of the founding fathers of Geneva Junior League Football. He was a past President of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, as well as Geneva Growth, which was able to get Agway and PSI to move to Geneva. He was a founder of the Geneva Scholarship Associates, which has sent over 150 local high schoolers to Hobart and William Smith Colleges since its inception. He served on the Geneva Human Rights Commission and was a board member for The Smith Opera House. He was an original member of the annual Lake Trout Derby and awarded most major prizes for the last 50 years. He was a member of Geneva Country Club since 1957 and served a term as its President. He co-chaired the successful YMCA fundraising drive that built the current facility. He was also co-chairman of Geneva’s Bicentennial, which staged a parade and massive civil war reenactment. His many memberships included: The American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Hydrant Hose, Sons of Italy, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Disabled American Veterans. Some of his numerous awards included: The Geneva Italian Club’s “Man of the Year” in 1980, the New York State Liberty Award from the NYS Senate, the Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ “President’s Award,” the DeSales Alumni “Hall of Fame” award, the “Humanitarian of the Year” award from the American Legion Winnek Post 396, and most recently, the Catholic Charities’ “Sharing the Light” award. He worked on Bobby Kennedy’s Senate campaign, and with his wife Donna, personally served his homemade fresh caught lake trout to President Clinton and hosted a Nobel Peace Prize winner at his home. Frank’s hobbies included writing, computers, photography, travel, fishing, and golf. In the 1980’s, he wrote a feature column for the Finger Lakes Times called "Pullano’s People and Places" and most recently wrote a column dedicated to the honor of veterans called "Thank You for Your Service". He loved to travel and helped run golf trips around the world to countries including Greece, Spain, El Salvador, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the Canary Islands. He is survived by his wife Donna, his children: Russell (Susan) Pullano, Frank (Lanice) Pullano, Kathy (Ed) Doody, and David Pullano. His stepchildren, Melissa (Kevin) Berg and James (Kyle West) Vance; grandchildren: Reed (Lindsay) Doody, Mary (Sean) Horton, Hannah (Chris) Doody, Antoine (Trina) Evans, Sarah Berg, Nathan Berg, Tica (Daniel) Cline, Jocelyn Rivera, Jacob Frank Pullano; three great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was also a second father to many. He was predeceased by his first wife Jeannie, an infant daughter Mary Frances, and his siblings Mary, Joseph and John. “I would like to think of myself as a can-do person. I’ve enjoyed helping other people and believe that as human beings we are called by God to help and serve one another. God has blessed me with a wonderful family and many friends. Both of my wives have been a great inspiration to me and I am grateful for their love and support in any endeavor that I chose.” - Frank J. Pullano